


Between now and then

by TheBlueDayDream



Series: The Hachidaime Hokage [3]
Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-14
Updated: 2018-01-06
Packaged: 2019-02-02 13:17:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12727311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBlueDayDream/pseuds/TheBlueDayDream
Summary: From the moment that he confessed his feelings for her, everything changed.





	1. Realization

**Author's Note:**

> This is connected to the first one-shot in my one-shot collection, The Hachidaime Hokage. A short recap is that Sarada returned from a mission with a close friend of hers killed. She decided that she didn't qualify to be Naruto's successor. When Boruto found out, he got angry and confronted her about it, then let it slip that he was in love with her, but wouldn't accept anyone other than the future Hokage. So this story deals with what happened after that between Boruto and Sarada.  
> Currently, I'm posting this as a two-shot. I'm still unsure how long I want to extend it.

Uchiha Sarada was honest enough with herself to admit that, for all her prowess on the battle field and in the meeting room, she was sort of hopeless when it came to things like flirting or dating or being in a serious relationship. Uncle Naruto said it ran in the family, and considering that both of her parents' first kisses were with him, she was inclined to believe his words.

 

Still, these kind of things shouldn't be hereditary. She already had enough trouble as it was juggling between being on active duty, interning at the Hokage Tower and shadowing the Nanadaime's every move ("You need first-hand experience of how things are done, Sara-chan!", uncle Naruto had insisted). In a few years, she would be the one wearing the hat and the robe, and her workload would pick up tenfold. The last thing she needed was a complicated love life to top it all off.

 

But it seemed that life was determined to give it to her anyway, with the way things were right now.

 

I fall in love with the future Hokage. 

 

Well, Boruto sure knew how to time his confession, didn't he?

 

It wasn't that Sarada wasn't…touched by his feelings, because she was. He was the one that had managed to snap her out of her idiotic thoughts, after all. Was it not for Boruto, Sarada probably wouldn't have realized her goal.

 

But he was in love with her. For Kami knew how long. And he was her best friend and her ex-teammate. She had known him probably since the day she was born.

 

How could she have been so blind?

 

(The thought was ironic, really. Wasn't possessing the Sharingan supposed to make her vision clearer?)

 

"You aren't exactly the…brightest when it came to things like that," Mitsuki had pointed out when she had confined in him, with all the tact that he possessed. "Don't beat yourself up too much."

 

"Thanks, that makes me feel so much better," Sarada retorted moodily. "I just don't get it! Why me? I'm nothing like the girls he used to date! And we always fight! And I'm pretty sure that he considers me one of the guys."

 

Mitsuki snorted and gave her a look that seemed to say 'Are you kidding me?'

 

She felt a blush crept onto her cheeks. "Well, obviously the last part was wrong…But why didn't he just tell me before? He couldn't have known that something like that would happen and he would have the perfect chance…"

 

"Maybe because he knew you would be freaking out?" Mitsuki suggested mildly, eyes gleaming in amusement. "Like you are doing now? Honestly, those are questions that you should be asking Boruto, not me."

 

"I'm not freaking out," Sarada muttered, turning away. "And..uhm, we haven't really…I mean…"

 

"You have been avoiding him, haven't you?" Mitsuki sounded too knowing for her liking.

 

Sarada let out a non-committal sound, but her lack of an answer was telling enough.

 

"Sarada!"

 

"What? I just don't know what to say to him, alright?"

 

"You don't need to say anything. Actions speak louder than words, you know."

 

The suggestive undertone in his voice was enough to darken the blush on her cheeks. Sarada turned to glare at him, and when his smirk only widened, she smacked him upside the head. It was rare that Mitsuki was on the receiving end of her punches, but he could be a real idiot when he wanted to.

 

"Ouch!"

 

"Be serious, you baka!"

 

"Alright, alright, you crazy woman! What Boruto sees in you…"

 

Sarada's eyes flashed dangerously. "It's not wise to insult the future Hokage, you know."

 

"So, what are you going to do?" When Sarada failed to answer, he pressed on, "You can't avoid him forever, and sooner or later, you will have to deal with this. In your, and his, best interest, I would recommend sooner. It's clear that this is affecting both of you."

 

Sarada wanted to say that no, it was not affecting her. She was working fine, and she had even managed to cut down on the time needed to deal with paperwork.

 

But she knew that was a lie. She might be functioning, but her mind kept straying back to that moment in her apartment with Boruto and the constant question of what to do.

 

It felt strange to not speaking to him, or seeing him, or hearing the sound of his laughter. She missed the moments when he burst into her apartment and dragged her out to eat, or them just staying in and watching a movie. She missed the affectionate hugs that he would never hesitate to give her, even when she complained about how she didn't like physical contact (Boruto was an exception).

 

Sarada knew she wasn't fine with this situation. She missed her best friend. She missed him.

 

"But I don't know what to do, that's the problem!" she almost wailed.

 

Some future Hokage she was going to be - freaking out about boys problem with her best friend on the top of the Monument.

 

"Do you love him?" Mitsuki asked bluntly. There was no trace of humor in his voice this time, nothing to suggest that he was anything but serious.

 

Sarada sputtered, "What…what kind of question is that?"

 

"A very simple one. Do you love him? Yes, or no."

 

"I…you can't…it's not…it's not simple!"

 

Mitsuki smiled gently. "Maybe it's only because you are making it out to be much more complicated than it is. Think about how you feel, Sarada, and be honest with yourself. Boruto has laid all of his cards on the table, so to speak. It's your turn."

 

"This is not a damn card game!" Sarada growled.

 

She removed her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose. Mitsuki was only trying to get her to relax, she knew, but the more she talked to him, the more pressured she felt. He was right, that Boruto had bare his heart and had, ultimately, relinquished the control to her. From this point on, whatever she said, whatever she did…she would be the one deciding the direction of their relationship.

 

Sarada almost hated him for making her shoulder such a responsibility.

 

But then again, wouldn't she be responsible for an entire village in a few years? This should be nothing compared to being Hokage, right?

 

"I don't want to hurt him," Sarada admitted honestly. The thought of causing Boruto pain was unthinkable to her. If she could prevent it, then no matter what, she would.

 

"Don't you think you already have?" Mitsuki's question made her flinch. There was a hint of accusation in his amber eyes and she remembered that Boruto was his best friend, too. "What do you think your avoiding him look like to Boruto?"

 

Sarada was blind and stupid, apparently.

 

"Shit, I didn't…"

 

"I know you didn't mean it like that. Boruto probably would, but then again that guy tends to throw common sense and logical thinking out of the window where you are concerned," Mitsuki commented dryly, looking exasperated. Something in his voice suggested that this wasn't the first time he had to deal with the blond concerning her.

 

A thought suddenly occurred to her just then. "Mitsuki, how long have you known about this?"

 

"About what?" He sounded far too innocent to be believable.

 

"You know damn well what! Don't play dumb with me!"

 

"…fine. Too long for my sanity, to be honest," he let out a long-suffering sigh. "That's years of my life that I won't be able to get back."

 

Sarada's eyes widened to an almost comical size. Was Mitsuki speaking the truth?

 

"Years?! Boruto…Boruto was in love with me for years and he never…he only said this now?"

 

"Shocking, isn't it?" her friend replied flatly. "I kept telling him to find his balls wherever you had hid them---"

 

"---watch it!"

 

"---and get it over with. Well, never mind that now."

 

Her head was reeling. Was her observation skill that bad? Or was it that she just did not know Boruto at all? How could she have not noticed it, if it had been going on for as long as Mitsuki said?

 

Sarada liked to think that she understood people on some level. She would never be as astute as Mitsuki, or as easy to connect with others as Boruto. But at least she could figure out the thoughts and feelings beneath the surface, and not take things at face value.

 

Though, what this whole thing had taught her was that she was not as good as she considered herself to be - some might say she was ignorant, even. If she couldn't understand someone whom she had known all her life, someone whom she claimed to be her best friend, then how could she understand the people of Konoha whom someday she was going to lead?

 

She still had a long way to go, it seemed.

 

"Sarada, Boruto doesn't need your pity, nor does he want it. What he wants from you, is your honesty. Wouldn't you want the same thing, if you were in his place?"

 

Mitsuki was right. If she confessed her feelings to someone, she wouldn't want that person to sugarcoat the truth or hide it from her, no matter how ugly that truth might be. To do something like that…would be highly disrespectful. Sarada was an adult and she was strong enough to deal with whatever came her way.

 

The same as Boruto. It was time that she stopped worrying about hurting his feelings and started treating him like an equal.

 

"What if," Sarada began, looking out at the village. Somewhere down there was Boruto, thinking that she had shunned him for loving her. "what if our friendship was ruined after this?"

 

Mitsuki tilted his head. "That's your decision, isn't it? Besides, I think Boruto is too stubborn to let that happen."

 

Despite herself, Sarada felt the corner of her mouth curled up into a grin.

 

"Boruto knows what he is doing. Do you?"

 

Sarada didn't answer. After a few minutes of silence, Mitsuki stood up, brushing dirt off his clothes. He was smirking as he said, "You know, between the two of you, I might as well just become a ninja therapist."

 

"Very funny," she deadpanned.

 

As he disappeared from the Monument, Sarada closed her eyes and laid down on her back, thinking. She looked through years of memories, and kept coming back to his confession time and time again.

 

I fall in love with the future Hokage. 

 

Did she love him? The way that he did her?

 

Surprisingly enough, the first answer that came to her mind wasn't no.

 

Tbc. 


	2. Declaration

Her mother did not look up from her desk as Sarada dropped down on the window and made her way inside.

 

"Darling, you know the hospital has doors, right? Useful little invention, you probably have heard of it."

 

"Oh, is that a new installation?"

 

Green eyes flickered up to meet her face, a hint of exasperation mixed with amusement. Sakura set down her pen and leaned back in her seat, regarding her daughter.

 

"I should ask why Naruto named you his successor when you can't even use proper doors, but then again, this is Naruto we are talking about…"

 

"You are hilarious, Mama."

 

"Only for you, dear," Sakura winked, which caused Sarada to roll her eyes. Then the woman straightened up and her voice turned serious. "I assume you are not here to visit your poor mother."

 

"Uncle---I mean, Hokage-sama asks for the latest report on the new training program. He wants to monitor the progress closely."

 

"Ah, of course," her mother murmured, searching through her files. When she came up empty, she said, "You'll have to head down to the Medic office. Ask for Kaoru-san. She's the head supervisor of the training program. She should have the report ready."

 

Sarada nodded and stood up. "Thanks, Mama. I'll see you at dinner tomorrow night."

 

"Wait, Sarada."

 

"Is there something wrong?" Sarada asked, eyebrows furrowing. The worry in her voice was rather alarming. Her mother seemed fine to her, and she was quite sure that nothing had happened to her father or brothers.

 

Had something happened that she did not know?

 

"You look like someone is about to die, dear," her mother laughed easily, the sound easing Sarada's concern somewhat. But it did nothing for her confusion. "I just want to ask if you are alright. I haven't seen you much lately and from what I heard from Naruto, you seem busy."

 

Her body relaxed. It looked like Boruto wasn't the only one prone to overreact, after all. Or maybe he was just rubbing off on her.

 

Sarada firmly told herself to concentrate on the conversation at hand. Thoughts on Boruto was dangerous territory these days; just the mention of his name could set off a whole minefield that she hadn't yet dealt with.

 

"I'm fine, Mama. Work can get a bit boring at times, but it's nothing I can't deal with." There, none of that was a lie. She was fine, sort of. And paperwork was mind-numbing, but it was an unavoidable part to being Hokage, so there was no escaping that.

 

Something told her that that wasn't the answer her mother wanted to hear, though. Was it the strange gleam in her eyes, or the way her smile widened just slightly?

 

"That's good to hear, darling. What about outside of work? You haven't been fighting much with Boruto lately, have you? I swear, the two of you are even worse than your fathers sometimes. Although you have yet to try to fight each other to the death and destroy your arms, so that's something, at least."

 

Her mother knew!

 

Or at least suspected that something had happened between her and Boruto. Sarada was rather curious as to how.

 

But then she was reminded that Sakura had been a kunoichi for two thirds of her life and even if she mostly stayed in the village these days, by no means had her skills became rusty. Her mother could be awfully resourceful when she set her mind on something

 

That, and the fact that the woman was her mother. She probably had built-in mom radar to detect these sort of things.

 

"I haven't seen him around much," Sarada answered carefully

 

Half-truths were always easier to deliver than lies. It wasn't that Sarada didn't want her mother to know. But she was determined that before she and Boruto had a proper talk and sort things out between themselves, no one else should be privy to the details, including her mother.

 

"We are both very busy these days," she continued in a neutral tone.

 

Sakura nodded in understanding. "Of course, of course. Well, I won't keep you here any longer. You have a job to do, after all."

 

It was only once Sarada exited her office that she allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief. She needed to track down Boruto, and soon, but it was sort of impossible when he was away on top-secret ANBU missions, now was it?

 

* * *

 

"Sarada-san, I didn't expect to see you!"

 

Hoshi Kaoru was a woman in her mid-thirties, with average features and above average height. Sarada hadn't had much interaction with her both here and outside of the hospital, but there had been a rumor going around lately that she was being considered for the position of Head of the children hospital that her mother had set up. It had yet to be confirmed, so for now, Kaoru was still in charge of training and Research & Development.

 

"Kaoru-san," Sarada gave the woman a polite nod. The medic office was mostly empty save for the two of them and another young man whose face she did not recognize. "I am here to collect the report on the new training program for Lord Hokage. Director Haruno said that you had it ready?"

 

"Yes, just let me print it out for you."

 

"Take your time, Kaoru-san."

 

As they waited for the printer, Sarada felt that she should engage the woman in some conversation and decided to ask, "So this new program would cut down on the overall time it takes to train a new medic by half a year? That's quite impressive."

 

"Ah, yes. But this is only a test run, so we are not sure how qualified those medics will be once they graduated. Still, if it is a success…"

 

Sarada nodded. She understood the implications if they successfully implement that new program. Lesser time in training meant more medics. And though Sarada doubted they could ever fully address the problem of being understaffed, this would certainly help.

 

Just then, several panels on the wall on their left flashed in different colors. It was an installment done by Himawari about a year ago that would immediately alert the medics to any person delivered to the ER. Through a complex network of seals (which Sarada doubted anyone could understand save for the Uzumaki siblings), the bodies of the wounded were scanned the moment they crossed the threshold of the hospital. The severity of their injuries would be determined, then sorted into different colors, which would appear on the wall in the medic office. If they were shinobis, they would be identified by their chakra signature.

 

Sarada considered this nothing short of genius on Himawari's part. This Sealing Monitor helped the medic save time and allowed for more effective placement of their staff.

 

At the moment, two panels were flashing red and one purple. Words appeared underneath them, but the only one that caught her attention was on the right, right under the purple panel.

 

'ANBU squad 3, requiring medical assistant.'

 

Sarada felt her blood ran cold. She knew who was on ANBU squad 3, she had looked through the mission requirement and had been there when they were dispatched. They were back a day early and injured. 

 

Calm down, she told herself. It was only purple. Purple meant that their injuries weren't life threatening. There was nothing she needed to worry about. This sort of things happened all the time and frankly, any ANBU returning from a mission not a hairline away from dying should be considered a success.

 

But Sarada was a medic, too, and she knew all too well how fast things could spiral out of control.

 

"Damn, we don't have enough medic in today," she heard Kaoru muttered.

 

"I'll handle the ANBU squad," Sarada said, surprising both herself and the other two.

 

"Sarada-san…"

 

"No, it's fine. I'm not in a hurry anyway and Hokage-sama would understand. You go see to the other emergency."

 

Boruto better be okay, because she still had so much to say to him and she would rather not do that while he was bleeding all over her hands.

 

* * *

 

Of the four members of ANBU squad 3, one was poisoned, one had a concussion and one had a broken leg. She put two on bed rest and tasked the final member with the responsibility to keep the concussed one awake.

 

Boruto was the one poisoned, though it was fairly common and only took her ten minutes to administer him an antidote. He acted like he always did around her (though a tad more subdued seeing as his ANBU subordinates were also present and he needed to keep up the image as taichou in front of them).

 

Like she hadn't been avoiding him for the last two weeks. Like he hadn't confessed that he was in love with her while she was a crying, blubbering mess in her apartment.

 

He was completely normal and Sarada wasn't sure what to think about that.

 

When had Boruto become such an enigma?

 

"The poison should be fully purged from your system by tomorrow morning," she concluded after she ran one last diagnosis on him. "But I want you to stay here until the day after to make sure that you are completely healed."

 

"Sarada---"

 

"Don't argue with me about this, Boruto," she interrupted sternly.

 

Ah, familiar grounds. This she could deal with.

 

"You know how I don't like hospitals…"

 

"Then don't get hurt in the first place, you idiot!" Sarada exploded, and what followed was a silence so stifling she could barely breath. She could feel the others' eyes on her, probably mirroring the expression of surprise that was evident on Boruto's face.

 

She was overreacting, but there was no controlling the flood of emotions that had broken out inside her after trying to suppress everything for the past month. She felt too many things at once and she just wanted it all to go away.

 

The current situation wasn't helping. There was Boruto, returning from his mission, hurt, and he was acting like everything was completely normal.

 

I fall in love with the future Hokage. 

 

Her mind's ability to dredge up certain memories at the most inappropriate of times never cease to amaze her.

 

Do you have any idea how I felt when I saw the name of your squad flashing across the monitor? When I thought that there might very well be a chance that I could never tell you what I had been waiting to, what you wanted to hear? Those were the questions that Sarada wanted to ask him, but instead, she found herself standing up and saying in a clipped tone, "Please have some rest, Boruto. Your body needs time to recover."

 

Boruto gave her a muted stare.

 

"And," she sucked in a breath. It was time to make her move. "When you are out of the hospital, we need to talk."

 

* * *

 

It occurred to Sarada that she ought to be concerned that she barely felt a flicker of anxiety when facing down enemies on missions, yet was now twisting her fingers nervously as she waited for Boruto outside of the hospital. Her nervousness was not baseless, however, for if love was a battle field, then she had arrived completely unprepared and unarmed. There was no jutsu that she could use to ensure her victory, no movements that she could predict by turning on her Sharingan.

 

Sarada wasn't exactly inexperienced when it came to the world of dating. She had had boyfriends before, and had gone on a handful of dates in between. But this time was different; she had never had so much on the line. If things didn't work out between them, then it wasn't just a break-up that she would need to worry about.

 

Perhaps that had been the one thing that scared her the most, and the prime reason why she was so reluctant about this. Friends didn't break up, they didn't fall out of love and decide one day that they no longer needed each other. But lovers did, and if one day….

 

"Are you waiting for me?"

 

Sarada jumped. She hadn't sense him coming.

 

"Whoa, easy there. I'm not about to attack you."

 

"I'm not…you just surprised me, that's all."

 

"So, you said that we needed to talk?" There was something like wariness in his voice. Boruto look apprehensive, as if he was bracing himself for the worst case scenario.

 

She hated the thought that she had been the cause of this. She never wanted to see Boruto wary of her.

 

"Yeah, yeah we do. Let's, uhm," she could feel other people's eyes on them as they passed by, "go somewhere more…private."

 

And so that was how she found herself on his couch while he busied himself in the kitchen with preparing tea for the two of them. It was a habit that he had picked up from Shikadai, whom Sarada had noticed to be practically addicted to tea.

 

They hadn't exchanged one word on the walk back to his apartment. The tension between them was so thick, she was sure she could slice through it with a kunai. Where was the carefree, conversational Boruto from yesterday? And why was it that every time she tried to say something, her voice felt like it was stuck half-way up her throat?

 

"Here," he mumbled, setting a mug down in front of her. It was the porcelain mug that she had gotten him last Christmas.

 

"Thanks."

 

Silence. The awkwardness was killing her.

 

"You said that you loved me," Sarada blurted out, then winced. There went the elaborate, well-structured speech that she had spent all of last night coming up with. She should have known that she would put her foot in her mouth and said something completely different.

 

She even practiced in the shower, too!

 

His face was unreadable as he replied, "I did."

 

"Why?"

 

"Well, you were about to give up your dream-"

 

"I mean, why me? I'm," the fool who didn't realize your feelings "not your type."

 

That was…lame.

 

"I wasn't aware I had a type," he said, something like amusement dancing in his eyes. Boruto looked less wary than a few moments ago, and so Sarada allowed herself to relax. "If you want a list of your virtues, Sarada…"

 

"Funny," she mumbled. "It's just, I didn't expect it. You are supposed to be my best friend and yet I had no idea. I feel like…like I didn't know you."

 

"Hey, hey, none of that! Don't start thinking you are a horrible friend or something. I didn't want you to know and…well, you have always been dense when it comes to these sort of things," Boruto smiled, "But that's alright, because that's part of who you are. When I say I love you - it's all of you, the good and the bad and the crazy."

 

"That sounds like a line from some cliché chick-flicks," was all she managed to come up with.

 

Where was the eloquence she so desperately needed for situations like this? Probably off vacationing somewhere in Wave country, Sarada thought spitefully.

 

From the corner of her eyes, she saw Boruto setting his mug down on the table. He inched closer to her and wrapped both of his hands around her own, his touch gentle yet firm.

 

Sarada's eyes went wide. This certainly wasn't the first time that they had any physical contact, but it felt different, somehow. The context, the look in his eyes, the way that his fingers were gently caressing hers. This was new, unfamiliar territory.

 

Sarada thought that she would be more afraid of this…new development. Yet, much to her surprise, she felt calmer and something else. Something like yearning.

 

For his touch. For more.

 

Do you love him?

 

"Sarada, you know how I feel about you. It would be great," he sucked in a breath and looked away, before turning back to her, "if you can give me an answer. If you don't feel the same way, if you are uncomfortable, I'll back off and never speak of this again."

 

And in that moment, it felt like a switch had been turned off inside her. Sarada had spent days juggling between what she would lose and gain if she decided to start something with Boruto, whether one side out-weighted the other. She had tackled this like she would any other problem.

 

But she realized now that none of the plans or the diagrams or the mind-maps that she had drawn out really mattered. This was Boruto, not just any other person. And this was her relationship, not just any other problem.

 

The pros and cons faded into the background as she looked at him. She knew what she wanted. His touch, his hugs, his kisses. She wanted to prolong this moment and she wanted more than just innocent touches or sidelong glances exchanged when no one was paying attention.

 

She wanted him. 

 

"Don't---" her voice was thick as she spoke, though she was surprisingly calm, "---don't back off. If you do then I'll just chase after you, I guess."

 

Boruto stared at her mutedly.

 

"I can't tell you that I love you, but I'm getting there…I know I am. You are…you are…one of the people that I treasure the most. That day, when you said that you loved me, I was so afraid. Lovers fall out of love. What if we did, too?" she swallowed, "I didn't want to lose you.

 

"I'm still afraid, but I don’t want fear to dictate my life. I'll do what I want…and what I want is you---a relationship, if you want it, too?"

 

"If I want it, too? Are you really…" Boruto looked to the side, a smile threatening to split his face in half. When he turned back to her, there was so much happiness on his face that she wondered why she had prolonged things for so long. "Yes, I want a relationship with you. Yes, I want you. Does that answer your question?"

 

The corner of her mouth curled into a smirk. "Somewhat, yes."

 

It was far from being the best, as far as love confessions went. But something didn't have to be the best to be perfect.

 

 

 

 


End file.
